Survival Instinct
by Li'lDixonDarlin
Summary: What if someone found the house that Sophia had hidden in before her and camped out there? Sophia stumbles across Maxine Chevalier and Maxine promises to help Sophia find her mama and the rest of the group. Will they find the group?
1. Sophia Meets Max

**This is a whole new story for the Walking Dead! I came up with it while watching Walking Dead reruns on AMC. It starts when they lost Sophia. I'm pretty sure you'll like it.**

**In this one, I did things a little different: I gave Merle a wife. Yes you read that right. a WIFE. She's pregnant too! I'll explain it all in future chapters :)**

**I only own my OCs!**

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***Sophia's POV***

I ran through the woods, trying to find my way back to the others but I stopped and glanced around, realizing that I was lost. I let out a whimper then looked around again and let out a noise of relief when I saw a white house in the distance and ran towards it, stumbling over rocks and roots along the way. I ran to the door and pushed it open then nudged it shut and glanced around the home. I walked into the kitchen area and found some food so I decided to eat then once I was finished, I wandered around the house to make sure that there were no walkers around. I walked into one of the bedrooms and blanched when I saw bodies lying along the floor and gagged at the smell. I heard a thump so I spun around then decided to see if I could find out what the noise was. I was headed to one of the rooms towards the back of the house and let out a scream when I was met with the tip of an arrow.

"Sweet Jesus darlin...ya scared me! I almost shot ya!"a female voice drawled. I looked up to see a woman with dirt streaked across her face; she has ebony black hair that's tied up out of her face in a messy ponytail, blue-green eyes, a white tank top that's completely filthy so she must've been out in the woods for a while, and a pair of camouflaged cargo pants as well as camouflage boots.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know anyone was here." I said, shaking slightly. She slowly released the string in her bow then once it was back where it was supposed to be, the lady put the arrow back in the quiver she had on her hip.

"It's alright suga. I ain't gonna hurtcha. I thought you were one of 'em walkers," the lady said, "what're you doin way out here all by yer lonesome doll? Where's yer mama?"

"I-I got separated from the group I'm in. Some walkers were chasin me and Mr. Rick came chasin after me and drew the walkers away from me but when I was headin back, I got my directions all mixed up and got lost...I found this place and decided to hole up here..." I said softly.

"Well no worries then Chickadee. I'll keep ya here wit me and help ya find the others." the woman said.

"Thank you ma'am. I'm Sophia Peletier." I said.

"Maxine Chevalier. You can call me Max, sweetie." Maxine said. I smiled and nodded in agreement then followed her back to the sitting area of the house.

"Um...Max? What am I gonna do for clothes? Everything else is back with my mama..." I trailed off, tearing up at the thought of my mama.

***Maxine's POV***

I looked at little Sophia and felt a pull at my heartstrings, knowing the pain of missing one's mama as well as those you care about; I got separated from my best friend but I had a hunch that she was still alive.

"It'll be alright darlin. Lemme gather my things from in here and load 'em up in my truck. I've been meanin to move from this spot since it's easy for walkers to come across and I need some more gear and I don't wanna leave you here alone so...what do ya say in comin with me into town to pick up some stuff and findin a new place to camp out?" I suggested. Sophia sniffled then wiped at her eyes and nodded her head.

"I'll go with you, Max." Sophia said.

"Alright sweetheart. Could ya gimme a hand in gatherin my things to put in my truck so we can head out from here?" I asked.

"Yes ma'am." Sophia said. I nodded with a smile then led her to the room where I had been camped out so we could gather up my belongings.

***Carol's POV***

I hid in the RV, crying over the fact that Rick had left my little girl alone in the woods. I know he's a good man but that still doesn't help me get over the fact that my little girl is lost out in the woods alone, probably crying and missing me.

***Rick's POV***

I kicked myself for leaving Sophia out in the woods by herself knowing that more walkers could come up at any time and possibly attack her and she has no way at all to defend herself; all she can do is run and hope that she doesn't fall and hurt herself or hope that she doesn't get bitten, scratched, or grabbed by a walker. I will never forgive myself if anything happens to that little girl...

***Daryl's POV***

I stood by Merle and his wife Anastasia, chewing on the edge of my thumb, waiting to hear word from Rick on when he'll want to move out to start searching for Sophia.

"Darylina, what the hell is yer problem?" Merle questioned. I turned my attention to my older brother and gave him a weird look.

"The hell ya talkin 'bout Merle?" I asked. Merle scoffed and rolled his eyes, sliding an arm around Anastasia's waist.

"I mean why the hell are ya so worked up 'bout a fuckin li'l girl? She ain't kin." Merle drawled. I narrowed my eyes at him then my eyes drifted to Anastasia's pregnant belly, noticing her shirt ripple slightly which meant the baby was moving around.

"She may not be kin but these people have been like family ta us. They've looked out for us and fed us." I argued.

"Daryl's right Merle..." Anastasia said softly. Merle turned his attention to Anastasia, eyebrow raised.

"Ya turnin on me Ana?" Merle asked.

"No, I'm not but ya know he's right, Merle. The only reason you got left on that roof is 'cause you weren't in yer right mind. I know you were high when ya left. Somehow you got uncuffed without havin to do somethin rash and you got saved the next day by Daryl and the others. So don't ya dare go sayin that they haven't done right by us." Anastasia said. I was impressed by Anastasia's words; she may have only known Merle and I for two years before the world went to shit and she and Merle had gotten drunk off their asses and married one night but she knew how to keep my brother's ass in line but he was still an asshole but I knew that wouldn't change anytime soon.

***Maxine's POV***

I stopped my truck outside of an old strip mall at the back door then motioned for Sophia to follow along behind me.

"Keep a good grip on that huntin knife I gave ya girly and keep close to me, alright?" I said.

"Yes ma'am." Sophia said. I nodded my head then snuck forward for the back entrance, my bow at the ready to let loose an arrow if I needed to. I silently pulled open the door then snuck in, quietly walking around to make sure there were no walkers in sight. I let out a low whistle, signaling for Sophia to enter behind me. Once I heard her walking safely behind me after she closed the door, I walked forward into the mall so we could start searching for clothes.

"Do you know your sizes, darlin?" I asked.

"Yes ma'am I do. My mama always measured me for my school clothes." Sophia said.

"Alright, I'll follow ya and keep an eye out while you get your clothes then we'll search for mine then I'll take ya to get some extra shoes then I'll find a weapon that's suitable enough for ya so I can teach ya how to use it." I said.

"Okay." Sophia said. We headed towards the girl's clothes after I made a stop to grab some large duffle bags to stuff our findings in; so Sophia started grabbing her sizes and grabbed herself some t-shirts, pants, a couple jackets, a couple pairs of shorts as well as some panties, socks and a couple training bras. She shoved her clothes into one of the bags then followed me to the women's clothes and watched my back as I started grabbing the sizes I need in clothes. I grabbed shirts, pants, jackets and a couple pairs of shorts along with some socks, bras and new underwear.

"Let's go take a look at the shoes now sweetie." I said lowly. Sophia nodded her head in agreement so we quickly went on our way to the mall's shoe department to take a look at the shoes. Once we were there, I led Sophia to the shoe sizes she'd need then grabbed a pair of boots for her as well as a couple pairs of sneakers.

"Try those on honey. I'll keep an eye out." I said. Sophia nodded then quickly started trying on the shoes I gave her. I notched an arrow and kept my hand behind the feathers, ready to pull it back and let it fly if I desperately needed to. After a few minutes, I felt a tap to my leg so I twisted around a bit to see Sophia holding all three boxes out towards me. I nodded my head then passed the bag with her clothes to her so she took the shoes out of the boxes then shoved them into the bag and zipped it shut. I took the arrow away from my string and stuck it back in the quiver with the others.

"Let's go find some shoes for you." Sophia said. I smiled in agreement then we headed for the larger shoe sizes then I started rifling through them and trying them on. I shoved in a pair of snake boots, a pair of steel toed hiking boots and two pairs of knee high Converse and shoved them into the bag with my clothes.

"Alright honey, let's head to the sporting goods area of the mall so we can find ya a suitable weapon." I said. We quickly headed out of the shoe department and ran to the sporting goods store to pick up some things we'd need. Once we got there, I led her to the archery section so we could pick out a bow that would be just right for her.

"What are you lookin for specifically?" Sophia asked.

"I'm huntin a bow that would be the perfect size for you." I said with a smile. Sophia smiled in return then walked with me to help me search.

"What about this one?" Sophia asked, motioning to a blue camo one. I smiled at her then took it off the shelf and handed it to her.

"See if you can pull the string back." I said. Sophia nodded her head then took the bow out of my hands, grasped the string then pulled it back with ease.

"Like this?" Sophia asked. I nodded my head then grabbed a small quiver then grabbed arrows for that specific bow then loaded them into her quiver and handed it to her.

"Keep this with ya sweetheart. I'll get us some more arrows for our bows as well as some other things, alright?" I said. Sophia nodded her head then followed along behind me, picking up things that I told her we'd need. I grabbed a small arm guard for Sophia then grabbed another one for myself since my old one had worn out. I grabbed a couple hatchets and a machete then turned to grab some ammunition and more handguns as well as a sniper's rifle.

"Are we ready to go now, Max?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah, we're ready mon petite." I said, putting the guns, ammo, spare arrows, hatchets and machete into the military style duffle bag I had grabbed. We quickly checked to see if there were any walkers outside the sporting goods store then quickly ran out. We were passing by American Eagle when several walkers shambled out of the clothing store.

"Max!" Sophia said.

"Shit...run!" I said. Sophia took off running so I swung my bow around and started firing off arrows at the walkers. Once the ones that got too close were downed, I ran as fast I could with two duffle bags to catch up to Sophia. Once I had caught up to her, I threw the back door open and nudged her out of the door first then shot out, kicking it shut behind me. We slung the bags into the bed of my truck so I motioned for Sophia to get in so I could scope out the area. Once she was in my truck safely, I stood up on the side step and looked around then opened my door and quickly got in, started it up then took off for our new camp ground.


	2. Of Searches, Thoughts & Gunshots

**Here's chapter 2 of Survival Instinct!**

**I only own my OC(s). Be on the lookout for another OC :D**

**There's a little bit of Merle/Anastasia (oc) fluff in this chapter x3**

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***the next day; Carol's POV***

I followed along behind Daryl and the others to search for my Sophia; it wasn't any surprise to me that Merle elected to stay behind with Anastasia. He wasn't one for getting along with other people except for his brother or wife. We came across a tent so we paused and Daryl peered in the mesh of the tent, trying to see if Sophia was inside it.

*Daryl's POV*

I slowly unzipped the tent flap then edged forward with my hunting knife at the ready just in case. I gave Rick a slight nod of the head so I heard him tell Carol to say something just in case Sophia was in there.

"Sophia? Sophia, honey? It's mommy..." Carol said softly.

***Sophia's POV***

The next day, Maxine took me out behind our new hideout and was teaching me how to shoot my bow.

"You're pretty good, Sophia." Maxine commented. I grinned in triumph then released another arrow and cheered when it hit next to the first two in the bull's-eye on one of the targets she had grabbed yesterday.

"I have a pretty cool teacher to thank for that." I grinned. Maxine grinned proudly then walked over to the tree where she had the target tacked up and yanked the arrows out of it.

"That's enough practice for today honey. Let's go nap a bit, yeah?" Maxine said. I nodded my head in agreement then took the arrows from her and placed them back in my quiver.

"That sounds like a good idea," I yawned, "I'm sleepy..."

***Merle's POV***

I paced back and forth, muttering and swearing under my breath; I was going through withdrawals and Daryl told me I had better stay off the damn drugs since Anastasia was pregnant but motherfucker this shit is fucking hard! I heard footsteps approaching so I stopped pacing and spun around to face whoever the hell decided to bother me and my eyes narrowed slightly when I saw Anastasia standing there.

"What?" I snarled. Anastasia chewed on her bottom lip then ran a hand through her dirty blonde hair.

"I know this is a stupid question, but...are you alright?" Anastasia asked softly. I let out a humorless laugh and gave her a sarcastic smile.

"Sure, I'm fine and fuckin dandy! Hell no I ain't alright ya stupid bitch! I'm havin fuckin withdrawals since I can't have my fuckin fix due to you bein fuckin pregnant!" I spat. She visibly flinched at my verbal assault but in my state of mind, I honestly didn't give a flying fuck; hell I don't even know what possessed me to marry her!

_"You married her 'cause you were both drunk ya dumbass." _a voice in the back of my head reminded me.

"...sorry." Anastasia murmured, turning around to walk off. I growled under my breath then stomped after her, grabbed her arm then spun her around and kissed her roughly. She gasped in shock so I slid my tongue in her mouth and explored every inch of her mouth. I broke the kiss and locked eyes with her and she still seemed a bit stunned.

"Don't ya go gettin any damn ideas woman. You're mine. That ring on yer finger states it and ya got my last name to boot so don't even think 'bout goin after another man." I growled lowly. Anastasia scoffed and rolled her brown eyes at me, the action making me smirk a bit; that's one of the things that drew me to her: her attitude.

"I'm as big as a fuckin house Merle. Ain't no other man gonna fuckin want me. I'm FAT." Anastasia sneered. I scoffed at her statement then rolled my eyes at her.

"Ya ain't fat woman. Ya got my kid growin in ya." I stated.

***Maxine's POV***

I kept watch as Sophia slept; I had promised her that I would get some sleep but there was no way in hell I could sleep. I didn't know what I would do if a walker somehow got to us and attacked while I was sleeping instead of keeping watch but I was so tired. I yawned then rubbed at my face, trying my best to stay awake but I knew that I was starting to fail at that. I sighed in frustration then made myself a makeshift bed then laid down on it. I kept my bow and arrows close just in case then closed my eyes and started drifting off to sleep.

***Daryl's POV***

The others and I exited the woods and we were short of Lori, Shane, Rick and Carl. Apparently, Carl had gotten shot so Rick and Shane had taken him to some farm that the guy who had shot him lived at since there was a doctor of some sorts there that could patch the kid up.

"Shot? What do you mean he was shot?" Dale questioned.

"We don't know! This chick just came riding up on a horse like Zorro and told us that Carl had been shot and that Rick needed Lori so Lori left with her." Glenn said. I walked off to let Glenn explain things and approached Merle and Anastasia.

"Didn't find 'er baby brotha?" Merle asked.

"Nah..." I sighed.

***Rick's POV***

I sat in a chair next to the bed where Carl lay, waiting for Shane and Otis; the man who shot my son by accident, to return with the respirator that Herschel asked for. Herschel entered the room and checked Carl over then looked at Lori and I.

"If they don't return with that respirator soon, you'll have to make a choice." Herschel said.

"What choice is that?" I asked.

"The choice of either operating without the respirator or lettin your boy die." Herschel said. Lori got up and stomped out of the room and I sighed heavily, trailing after her and was a little startled to see T-Dog, Glenn, Merle, and Anastasia in the hallway.

"They sent us here. Others stayed in case Sophia came back." Glenn supplied.

***Maxine's POV***

I woke up to a hand shaking my shoulder and my eyes snapped open and my hand flew to my bow out of instinct but I relaxed seeing it was Sophia.

"What is it darlin?" I murmured, my voice thick with sleep.

"I...um...I have to go to the bathroom." Sophia mumbled. I woke up more then sat up, grabbing my bow and arrows in the process.

"Alright Chickadee, let's go." I said, pushing myself to my feet.

"I'm sorry..." Sophia mumbled. I laid a hand on top of her head and gently ruffled her hair, a smile on my face.

"It's alrigh darlin." I said. Sophia gave me a soft smile then headed towards the bathroom so I walked and stood guard, waiting for her to finish up so I could pump some water from outside so she could wash her hands. After a few minutes, I heard the door open so I started for the back door with Sophia following behind me. After I made sure that the yard was clear of walkers, I walked over to the hand pump and started to pump some water out so Sophia walked over and held her hands under the water and scrubbed them. I stopped pumping water so Sophia shook her hands out then followed me back inside so she could wipe them off on some clean towels that we had found in the linen closet.

"When can we go out and check our snares?" Sophia asked.

"We can go check 'em tomorrow." I smiled.


	3. Surviving & Finding Sophia

**Here's the third chapter of Survival Instinct :D**

**I only own my OC(s)!**

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***Days later; Merle's POV***

I stood in the farmer's stable with my brother and watched as he prepared a skittish looking mare to take to hunt for the little Peletier girl.

"I'm comin wit ya and I don't want ya ta try and stop me li'l D." I said when he glanced at me.

"I know better than ta try and stop ya. You're too fuckin stubborn for yer own good..." Daryl grumbled. I snorted at his comment then shook my head with a smirk.

"Ya know you're stubborn too brotha." I said. Once Daryl had finished getting the horse ready he swung up onto it then looked down at me, eyebrow raised.

"Thought you were comin with me?" Daryl questioned.

"I am. I'd rather walk." I drawled. Daryl grunted in response then clicked his tongue to spur the horse onward so I walked alongside him.

***Maxine's POV***

I cooked myself and Sophia some oatmeal; after making sure the outside well wasn't contaminated, and once it was done we sat down and enjoyed our oatmeal after adding blackberries to it that we had gotten from the woods.

"Are we gonna go check the snares?" Sophia questioned. I put my spoonful of oatmeal into my mouth and chewed the blackberries then swallowed, nodding my head.

"Yeah, honey. We are. Right after we eat." I said. She nodded her head and went back to eating so I did the same and it was silent between us as we ate.

***Merle's POV***

Us going out and searching for the little girl turned out from going alright to downright shitty; Daryl had found her doll and an arrow of all things next to a creek then as we continued on our way, something spooked the damn horse Daryl was on and he got thrown off so I slid down the slope to try to help him, only to slide on the slick rocks in the water and crash down, hitting a rock head first and blacking out for a bit. After a while, I woke up with a groan to see Daryl with a bolt through his side, making me grimace. I slowly got to my feet, feeling slightly dizzy as I did so then made my way over to Daryl and knelt in the water beside him, lightly smacking his face.

"Hey, wake up." I said. Daryl groaned then his eyes flickered open and he stared up at me through half lidded eyes.

"Fuck...this is turnin out to be a shitty day bro..." Daryl groaned. I snorted in agreement then tried to figure out a way to get him up and the only way I could think of was to get him riled up.

***Maxine's POV***

"Can we go check 'em now?" Sophia asked, shifting in place. I chuckled slightly then looked at the young girl as I grabbed my weapons.

"Yeah, we can but gimme a sec honey." I said. She nodded her head so I grabbed my hatchet and slid it into the hip holder I had for it on my belt then grabbed my bow and the quiver of arrows then I checked to make sure my knives were still in place; one tucked in my boot and the other strapped to my left thigh.

"Get your bow and somethin else honey. Just in case ya run outta arrows." I said. Sophia nodded then grabbed one of the knives we had grabbed while we were in the strip mall and slid it in her boot.

"Are you ready?" Sophia asked quietly. I glanced at her with a lopsided grin then jerked my head towards the door.

"Lead the way honey." I said.

***Merle's POV***

After Daryl and I killed the two walkers that thought they were gonna get an easy meal, I heaved my brother to his feet and started walking towards the slope where the two of us fell.

"Well, that's gonna be a bitch to get up." I muttered, eyeing the slippery slope. Daryl grunted in response then started to shift forward towards the slope so I stepped aside to let him start climbing himself. I found another spot that looked climbable so I started to make my way up the slope, keeping an eye on him from the corner of my eye. Soon I made it to the top but Daryl was still struggling up the slope so I decided to rile him up again to get his ass up the slope.

"C'mon boy! Get yer ass up this slope! You becomin a pussy?" I jeered. Daryl lifted his head and glared at me then started to climb to the top.

"I ain't a damn pussy." Daryl sniped.

"Well then kick off 'em damn heels and climb son!" I said. Daryl grunted then started to move higher so I held my hand out for him to grasp. Daryl eyed my hand once he got closer to the top then grasped it so I started helping him higher up the hill until he reached the top.

"Sonuva bitch." Daryl muttered. I grunted in response then crouched down next to him to examine his side wound.

"C'mon then Darylina. Let's get goin. You're gonna need patchin up boy." I said, helping him back to his feet. Once he was on his feet, we started a slow trek through the woods and after a while, I paused when I heard a high pitched squeal that signaled an animal being caught in a snare.

"Let's go see what that was." Daryl said.

"I agree li'l bro. You're gonna need somethin to keep yer strength up." I said. We made our way towards the sound of the squeal to see that a rabbit was caught in a homemade snare. I led Daryl over to it then stabbed it once with my hunting knife then took it out of the snare and handed it over to my little brother. He cut its stomach open then started eating it and glancing around to keep watch and make sure no walkers were approaching. A twig snapping made me snap my head to the left and I eyed the bushes and the tree line to see who or what could be approaching. Soon, I was left in disbelief when I saw the little Peletier girl being followed by an woman with dirt streaking her face and any other part of skin that was showing and she was wearing a gray tank top with a hole in the midsection, a pair of low rise blue jeans and from what I saw of her feet, a pair of black boots and she was carrying a bow in her left hand with a quiver strapped to her hip.

"Daryl? Merle?" the little girl said, sounding shocked.


	4. Meeting the Dixon Brothers

**Here's the next chapter for Survival Instinct! The stuff in this chapter about the Yarrow is true. It can be used to stop bleeding and to protect against bacteria :)**

**I only own my OCs!**

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***Maxine's POV***

"You know these two, honey?" I asked, keeping an eye on the two men in front of us.

"Yes ma'am, I do. They're two of the men in the group that I got separated from." Sophia answered.

"I'm Merle Dixon. The one eatin the rabbit is my baby brotha, Daryl." Merle drawled, nodding his head towards the slightly smaller man. I lowered my bow then put the arrow back in its quiver, placing my bow over my shoulder.

"Follow us. We'll take ya to where we're holed up so you can fix yerselves up." I said. Merle grunted in response then helped his brother stand then looked at me and Sophia.

"Follow me!" Sophia said, turning around. I followed along behind Sophia as she walked then glanced over my shoulder to see Merle and Daryl carefully following along behind us.

"So how'd you end up out here?" I questioned.

"We were lookin for the li'l girl." Merle said. I looked at said girl and smiled to myself, glad she had someone to look out for her while I was hoping that my own cousin was still alive. It was silent between the four of us as we walked which clued me in to the fact that the Dixon brothers weren't big on talking.

"How much farther?" Daryl rasped.

"Not too much farther!" Sophia said.

***Daryl's POV***

My vision went in and out as Merle helped me walk along in the woods and I was pretty sure that I was seeing things when I saw Sophia leading us through the woods with some strange woman. I staggered along as Merle helped me out and on more than one occasion, I managed to fall into my brother which caused him to grunt.

"Jesus Darylina. You're gettin a li'l fuckin heavy. Best not pass the fuck out on me boy." Merle sniped.

"We're here." the woman replied, glancing over her shoulder at us. Merle muttered something under his breath then walked into the house that the woman and Sophia had led us to. I'm not too sure what happened after that because as soon as Merle laid me down on the makeshift bed, I blacked out.

***Merle's POV***

No sooner than I laid Daryl down on the makeshift bed that the woman pointed to, he blacked out from his injuries.

"Well sumbitch." I muttered under my breath. I knelt down next to my brother and looked his wound over, trying to figure out how I could remove the bolt from his side safely.

"If you grab it near the feathers, you can pull it out that way." the woman supplied. I looked up and shot her a dirty look; I don't need some damn woman telling me how to help my brother. She held her hands up in surrender then turned around and headed into another room, mumbling under her breath in another language.

"I'm glad you found us." Sophia commented from where she was sitting. I looked at the little girl then grunted, turning back to Daryl. I grasped the bolt below the feathers then with one swift yank, I got the bolt out of his side which made Daryl wake up and groan in pain.

"Sorry bout that baby brotha but I had to get that bolt outta yer side." I said. Daryl grunted in response then tore the sleeves off his shirt and handed them over to me so I could tie them around his middle to slow the bleeding. Daryl grunted then laid back down, closing his eyes and throwing an arm over them.

"Did we really find Sophia?" Daryl muttered.

"You did." Sophia chimed. Daryl moved his arm and cracked open an eye then chuckled lowly when he saw Sophia sitting on the floor. After a few minutes, a frown graced his face and I could sense his confusion.

"Who was that with you when we saw you Sophia?" Daryl asked.

"I agree wit Daryl. Who was she?" I asked. She opened her mouth to say something but paused when the woman in question entered the room.

"Why do I get the feelin I was the subject of some kinda conversation?" the woman questioned.

"Who the hell are ya?" I asked. The woman glanced at me with an eyebrow raised but didn't comment on my tone.

"Maxine Chevalier, but I prefer Max. I'm the one who found the Chickadee." Maxine said, nodding her head towards Sophia.

"How did ya find her?" Daryl questioned, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Maxine's gaze turned towards Daryl but she didn't seem intimidated or agitated.

"There's a house a little ways away from here that I was camped out in. She stumbled across it and entered and I caught her by surprise. I promised that I'd help her find her way back to y'alls group." Maxine commented. Daryl glanced at Sophia with an eyebrow raised then looked between the two of them then settled his gaze back on the little girl.

"That so?" Daryl asked.

"Yes sir it is. I'm glad she found me. She's been teachin me how to hunt with a bow she got me at the large mall. She also got me some extra clothes and stuff." Sophia commented.

"Why?" Daryl asked, turning his attention to Maxine. Maxine shrugged her shoulders then ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back then dropped her hand and her hair fell back into place.

"Because I know what it's like to get lost from those you care about. I got separated from my cousin and her godson at the start of this bullshit. I'm hopin that they're both still alive out there somewhere. I figured I could help her find her mama and everyone else. I'd want someone to do the same for me." Maxine said. Daryl grunted in response then laid his head back down on the makeshift bed and closed his eyes.

***Rick's POV***

"Where do you think they are?" Anastasia questioned. I looked at the oldest Dixon brother's wife then chewed on my lip in thought.

"They're probably out trackin Sophia as we speak. I mean, they're both great trackers right?" I said.

"They are. Merle told me they've both been huntin since they were younger." Anastasia said. I nodded my head in understanding then glanced around Herschel's farm, trying to see if I could spot the Dixon brothers coming out of the woods and hoped that if I saw them, I would see Sophia with them.

***Maxine's POV***

I watched Merle as he tried to figure out how to staunch the bleeding in Daryl's side but didn't say a word; I didn't need him snapping at me again because I may end up throwing something at him. I had Sophia glancing out one of the windows to see if she could spot a deer, squirrel or maybe a rabbit or two but so far she's had no luck at spotting anything.

"Damn it. I can't figure out how the hell to stop the damn bleedin in yer side li'l D." Merle muttered.

"Shit." Daryl mumbled.

"Max knows somethin that may help him. She used it on me when I accidentally cut my hand on an arrow tip." Sophia said, turning away from the window. I suddenly felt a pair of eyes on me so I turned and saw Merle staring at me in curiosity.

"What do ya know that could help?" Merle asked.

"I used some yarrow on Sophia when her hand was bleeding. The yarrow stops bleeding, cleans the wound and protects against bacteria so it won't get infected. My grandmother on my mother's side was Native American so she taught me everything I needed to know about wild plants. What could be used as medicine and what could be used as poison. As well as those that were safe to eat." I explained.

"Where did ya find it?" Daryl asked weakly.

"The edge of the woods. I'll be right back." I said. I got up and disappeared out the back door, my hunting knife in my hand in case a walker stumbled across me and tried to take a chunk out of my flesh. I quickly snuck over to where I had first found the yarrow and cut a good chunk with my knife then headed back to the cabin where the four of us were holed up. I quickly went in the door then shut it and bolted it back and strode over to Merle.

"Here's some yarrow. Sophia? Could you go grab one of the shirts I ripped apart with my knife and use some of the water I heated up early to soak it with sweetheart?" I said. Sophia nodded her head then ran to do as I asked her so I knelt down on the floor beside the brothers. Merle lifted the side of his brother's shirt and I made a face when I saw the wound and how badly it was bleeding. I placed the yarrow on both sides of the wound, making sure to layer it thickly. Sophia quickly rushed over and handed over the destroyed shirt so I doubled it then laid it over his wound then glanced at Sophia who quickly dashed off again, knowing what I was looking for. She quickly returned with my duffle bag I had shoved medical supplies into at the start of this hell and placed it beside me.

"Thank ya sweetheart." I said. Sophia nodded then sat beside me in case I needed her help. I dug through my bag then grabbed a roll of gauze I had snatched from one of the stores I had ransacked then grabbed the medical tape too. Merle saw the supplies in my hands and took them from me and went to tending to his younger brother on his own. I glanced at Sophia and she merely shrugged so I zipped my bag back and slid it out of the way then stood.

"Max? I'm hungry..." Sophia said softly. I nodded my head then laughed when my stomach growled.

"Alright doll. Let's head to the kitchen to fix some food." I said.

***Daryl's POV***

I watched as Maxine and Sophia left the main room and went to the kitchen area so I turned my head to look at Merle.

"D'ya think we can trust her?" I asked lowly. Merle's eyes met mine and he seemed to be wondering the same thing.

"Not sure li'l D. I'm not sure." Merle rumbled. I grunted in response then watched his hands as he wrapped the gauze around my middle then taped it off. I started to say something but my stomach growling interrupted me then Merle's growled as well.

"Y'all fellas hungry?" Maxine called from the kitchen. Merle and I looked at one another and Merle smirked a bit.

"Hell yeah woman! The hell you cookin?" Merle shouted.

"I'm fixin deer steak!" Maxine shouted back.

* * *

**Sorry about the weird ending o.O**


End file.
